Find out how popular the last name Aklilu is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Aklilu.

Aklilu, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Aklilu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aklilu in America

Aklilu is the 79846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aklilu surname appeared 238 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Aklilu.

The history of the last name Aklilu

The surname AKLILU originated in Ethiopia, where it has been in use for centuries. It is a patronymic name, derived from the Amharic personal name "Aklilu," which means "ingenuity" or "wisdom." This surname is particularly prevalent among the Amhara and Tigray ethnic groups of Ethiopia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name AKLILU can be found in the 16th-century Ge'ez manuscript, the "Kebra Nagast" (The Glory of Kings), which chronicles the ancient Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopian emperors. In this text, there is a reference to an individual named "Aklilu," who was a courtier during the reign of Emperor Kaleb (c. 510-534 AD).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the AKLILU surname appeared in various historical documents and records related to the Ethiopian nobility and clergy. For example, Aklilu Seyoum (1753-1825) was a prominent scholar and cleric who served as the Etchege (head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) from 1804 to 1825.

In the 19th century, several notable individuals bearing the AKLILU surname emerged. Aklilu Habte-Wold (1861-1919) was an Ethiopian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. Another prominent figure was Aklilu Merdassa (1880-1942), a renowned military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896).

The 20th century saw the rise of several influential AKLILU individuals, including Aklilu Habtewold (1910-1965), a prominent Ethiopian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1961 to 1962. Another notable figure was Aklilu Lemma (1914-1997), a renowned Ethiopian novelist and playwright who made significant contributions to the country's literary landscape.

It is worth mentioning that the AKLILU surname has also been associated with various place names in Ethiopia, particularly in the regions of Amhara and Tigray. For instance, there is a town called Aklilu Amba in the Amhara region, which likely derived its name from an individual or family bearing the AKLILU surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aklilu

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Aklilu.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Aklilu was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Aklilu was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Aklilu, please contact us.

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